James Dobson is already asking for donations for his new nonprofit, James Dobson on the Family, which he’s launching with son Ryan in March.
Please click here to read my Gazette story for background on Dobson’s new ministry.
Dobson
On his Facebook page, Dobson estimates first-year operation costs to be $2 million. “Your participation will be greatly appreciated, especially during this time when startup costs will be very expensive,” he writes.
Dobson’s new ministry will have a similar agenda to that of Focus, which is to build up family values. The centerpiece of the ministry will be a daily radio show Dobson will co-host with 39-year-old Ryan.
Dobson’s departure from Focus only to start a similar ministry has some outside obervers speculating that Dobson was forced out of Focus and that a bitter Dobson decided to create a competing organization. Dobson, they say, may also feel that Focus’ kinder and gentler approach under CEO and president Jim Daly is not doing the trick, motivating Dobson to start a family nonprofit where fiery rhetoric is the norm.
Both Focus and Dobson deny these reasons.
Daly said Wednesday that Dobson may simply want to work with Ryan in the same ministry. “He has the chance to share his life’s work and passion with his only son,” he said. “What man wouldn’t choose to do that?”
As for James Dobson, he said on Facebook that he still feels called to minister on family issues. “We are in a moral decline of shocking dimensions,” Dobson writes. “I have asked myself how I can sit and watch the world go by without trying to help if I can.”
Whatever the true motivation for Dobson’s venture , the result may be a financial hit to Focus, since Dobson’s radio show was a great vehicle for bringing in donations. In the U.S. alone, Dobson has a daily audience of 1.5 million.
There are only so many fundraising dollars to go around, and any further financial hit to Focus could mean more layoffs and budget cuts for the family group. The timing could hardly be worse for Focus.
Focus’ budget was cut from $160 million in 2008 to $139 million in 2009, and its workforce has fallen from 1,400 in 2002 to 860 today.
If Dobson now draws money away from Focus to his new ministry, how will that affect the group’s long-term viability?
Must be nice to just walk away from one job then ask and expect people to give money for you next job. He surely has 2 million of his own money he could use for this. But no, he expects people to give him more free money. And people will do it.
This article is clearly biased against Dobson. Though Barna states that FOTF and Dobson deny the less than honorable reasons for the start up of his new organization, he clearly wants to create a perspective that is, at best, a speculative fiction about the behind the scenes workings of these two organizations. On the surface, the content of Barna’s report clearly betrays his animosity toward Dobson and the organizations with whom he is associated. Barna’s bias is shameful for journalist.
Now to WhyNot’s comment. What is the point of your comment? Other than sounding envious, I can glean no real point. It IS nice to walk from a job and ask people to give you money for the next job. Perhaps he DOES have 2 million of his own dollars. So what? People WILL likely give to his new organization. Guess what? You could do the same thing as Dobson is doing. What is stopping you? Start your new organization, put it out on Facebook, do a press release (I am sure Barna will help you with this one), and ask people for money. This is America and, like Dobson, you are free to start anything you wish and ask anybody you want to help you finance it. Of critical importance to you would be to start an organization that is actually important to A LOT of people, like Dobson’s organizations clearly are.
Oh, and don’t forget to prepare yourself for the criticisms from those who have an axe grind simply because you are asking for monetary support.
Have a great day and Happy New Year!
We don’t need another group like this in Colorado Springs. We already have a serious reputation problem and are unable to bring in new businesses because of the perception that people here are intolerant.
Snake Oil Salesman needs YOUR money, now!
Yes. Let’s all donate to help this piece of work continue the harm he does.
As a former employee, I can tell you there is truth to rumors of contention between Dobson and Daly. Publicly they both want to take the high road, but behind closed doors their personalities clashed. It took Daly a few years to alter the balance of power on the board, but once that was done, it was only a matter of time. Dobson was going to leave over time anyway, but it’s widely acknowledged among upper level management that Daly pushed him out the door quicker than he intended to leave.
So, he wants us to fund his hate mongering so he can keep his millions for himself. One thing is for sure, guys like Dobson have more chutzpah than ethics. Or what was it that Jesus would have called them – moneylenders defiling the temple.
Maybe we can hope that there are not enough rubes in the world to fund this guys new venture, but as we know, when it comes to Colorado Springs Evangelical Republican Right wing causes, there is a sucker born every minute.
I used to hear James Dobson on KRLD in Dallas. In those short diatribes, I never heard one word that justified the pompous sign off, “This is Dr. James Dobson.” Most of his swill was stuff that Luther Swampwater already knew.
Please, “Doctor” Dobson, let the snow melt and run into the ocean.
Marc – are you kidding? What reason OTHER than hurting FOTF would Dobson have? No business allows it’s current owner to LEAVE and then open up a business in DIRECT competition to it. It’s called a non-compete clause and it is VERY obvious to most readers that this is exactly what Dobson is doing.
I think everyone should start their own non-profit.
Best way to make free money.
And live life the way dog intended. Luxury automobiles and estates, a private yacht, perhaps a jet or helicopter.
Not to mention free meals and alcohol at the finest establishments.
Please send me your tax-deductible donation TODAY.*
* No personal checks please. Money order, cashiers check and cash gladly accepted.
Uh huh. The smooth transition was too good to be true. In with the new, out with the old. Then the old pulls the plug on his way out the door and diverts the flow to his own cistern. Somethin’ ain’t right, and it casts a long and ugly shadow, I’m afraid.
And I’m very, very sorry.
I second what shamed1 says. Daly’s kinder gentler approach was an implicit rebuke to Dobson’s more often fiery rhetoric, or at least Dobson interpreted it that way.
And johnvr, why do you put “doctor” in scare quotes? He has an earned doctorate in child development from University of Southern California, so the title of doctor is perfectly appropriate.
Some people are starting to figure this out correctly. It’s not about Ryan; that’s incidental. It’s about some people with extreme hubris–the kind that leads you to shoot your own foot–who now run the place.
Things really started deteriorating a year ago, when Daly and the board–against Dobson’s wishes–terminated 200 employees. There are some real horror stories among the victims, good people whose lives are being destroyed. The terminations were politicallly targeted in many cases and very age-discriminatory.
We’re not talking about very nice people here. Dobson broke with the board over this issue and publicly apologized for the slaughter at the ’08 Christmas all-staff chapel. Those who know him well say his heart was broken. Regardless of what you may hear, this is a very good and decent man. He would not have taken this current course had he been dealing with honorable people.
By contrast, you have CEO Jim Daly, who made a very telling comment during a prior, smaller RIF, when he encouraged the staff to view the terminations as pruning a tree. When you get rid of the dead wood, it makes the tree stronger. That’s his view of people–rather than Image bearers for whom Christ died. And the viciousness that inevitably comes when you choose this path is starting to show.
Unfortunately, lots more good people are going to be hurt in 2010 as we watch this horrible slow-motion disintegration. Maybe someone on the board will wise up and repair the schism with Doc, if it’s not too late.
My wife asked me how such things could happen inside a Christian organization, and I replied, “Maybe the cream doesn’t always rise to the top. Sometimes it’s the scum.”
I think it is great that he is sharing his passion with his son, Ryan. Our country and the world need the influence of godly men willing to stand for their values. No need to question motivation. If they are for Christ, they are on the right side.
I remember listening to some messages whereby Mr. Dobson spoke about his segue away from FOF. It is best to listen to those broadcasts rather than relying on speculation. They are undoubtedly archived somewhere.
JR
Maybe Rick can loan him the money, but you’ll need 3 million over three years to borrow 1 mil…